On 5/1/2026 at 9:44 PM, Liverpool Lou said:

there's a very high likelihood of the police visiting the deceased foreigner's home on being advised of the death to get at least a passport. They'd also be looking at things like his wallet and the existence of a bank account may become apparent. That information may be passed on to the embassy so, you can see, but the secret can easily get out.

Advice to widows is NOT to give up the passport as it may well be required for subsequent claims, say, with home country financial institutions/pension providers.

The embassy will be aware of the death if the death occurred in hospital as they have to give release permission. If the death occurred at home the police must be advised within 24 hours - and, yes, I am sure that gets passed to the embassy. That information also filters through the system as I have rarely seen DWP (for example) overpay a pension payment other than any currently being processed.

On 4/30/2026 at 3:51 PM, CharlieH said:

The ATM card stops being valid the second he dies.

Taking money after that isn’t ‘using his account’ — it’s taking from an estate without authority, and that can get you into legal trouble, even as his wife.

There is truth in that but Thailand deals on a practical basis..................for good reason with lawyer Probate costs at 30k up.

Irrespective of the legality my wife will drain my accounts by ATM usage but more likely via online banking (if I haven't moved it all across prior to death). In my case I have a Will naming her as sole beneficiary in case the above procedure fails. In her case (using your words) she will be 'stealing' her own money - I don't think the Tam Ruat will pursue that one!

Every situation is different but where there is no Will (or there is a sole - wife -beneficiary) I would avoid legal costs if at all possible - even by using "illegal" means.

On 4/30/2026 at 4:31 PM, jwest10 said:

As we all know it has to be in our own name, but surely with prior permission the Thai wife can use the debit card and how are they to know by gossip etc

ALL mandates cease on death.

So any third party authority, or PoA, also ceases on death.

On 5/1/2026 at 7:55 PM, TigerandDog said:

not 100% correct. The ATM card becomes invalid once the bank is notified of his death, NOT the second he dies. e.g. dies on a Friday night, bank can't be notified until the Monday morning at the earliest, and then only after death certificates have been issued by both a doctor and the district office. So theoretically it might be possible to use the ATM to withdraw the daily maximums on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning before the death certificates have been issued and the bank notified..

Don't let people get confused between valid and legal.

Something that is possible is not necessarily legal - and what you suggest is not legal.

Please don't misunderstand me; my wife will do exactly what you suggest - but in the full knowledge that it is technically illegal.

On 5/1/2026 at 9:35 PM, Liverpool Lou said:

Possible, but illegal. Withdrawing funds from a deceased person's account by a third party is fraud.

I wonder how many fraud charges for such an offence have been brought against Thai widows in the last 20 years.

I don't think you will need many fingers to count that one.

On 5/1/2026 at 9:01 PM, trucking said:

I went to my bank to ask how my wife could access my money should I die. Would opening a joint account help ?

No it would not. Everything must go through probate. Is there a solution I asked ? Yes...give her your ATM card pin number and she can withdraw it gradually. But that is illegal I pointed out. Everyone laughed , even other customers evesdropping.. Illegal yes but everyone does it and nobody cares.

That was from the bank employees.

My solution, buy a safe , bolt it down and leave the money in it with just a small float in the bank.

If on the other hand she dies first , everything to son in law ( really nice guy ) and I keep all the gold and walk away.

I would seriously recommend taking with a pinch of salt ANYTHING you are told by a bank employee in Thailand.

That is not being facetious, I know of several cases such information has been relied upon and it just hasn't happened that way when the time comes. Additionally, even if the information was correct today, there is nothing to say that it still will be in X years time.

On 4/30/2026 at 3:30 PM, jwest10 said:

Sorry this maybe covered elsewhere but could not find it anywhere.
What happens when an Englishman dies leaving a Thai wife and can she use the pin number to draw out cash for family

This is a decent site to get Probate information from - it also covers intestacy.

Probate and Succession in Thailand | Siam Legal International

As I want to be buried in the back garden, I play the law pretty fast and easy.

Wife & I have joint overseas accounts in US & Canada. Either can withdraw the whole wad. Not sure about actually closing the accounts.

Here, everything is jointly owned on the same principle. I think it's a good idea to do this before check out time.

A will in each jurisdiction where you have assets is bulletproof. Do it now!

Just now, hotandsticky said:

That information also filters through the system as I have rarely seen DWP (for example) overpay a pension payment other than any currently being processed.

I sure miss the days before computers. My uncle cashed my grandmother's Social Security checks for seven years!

Just now, unblocktheplanet said:

I sure miss the days before computers. My uncle cashed my grandmother's Social Security checks for seven years!

That would be the same laxity that allowed the UK based brother (of a deceased Farang in Thailand) to claim that he was the next of kin. He managed to withdraw £20k from Premium Savings Bonds.

The bond office was very good when I pointed out that the widow was actually next of kin, and refunded within 24 hours.

Just now, hotandsticky said:

Advice to widows is NOT to give up the passport as it may well be required for subsequent claims, say, with home country financial institutions/pension providers

The widow does not have the choice as to whether to "give up" the passport, she has no entitlement to it and would not be able to use it for any purpose. What claims that the widow might make could possibly be supported by the deceased invalid passport? UK pension providers would never ask a pension beneficiary for the deceased passport.

Just now, Liverpool Lou said:

The widow does not have the choice as to whether to "give up" the passport, she has no entitlement to it and would not be able to use it for any purpose. What claims that the widow might make could possibly be supported by the deceased invalid passport? UK pension providers would never ask a pension beneficiary for the deceased passport.

Nonsense. Of course she does.

The passport is the property of the British Government.

I have advised widows to give the police a photocopy (Immigration have all the details anyway) and keep hold of the original (note the caveat below, I am not trying to turn this into a pi55ing contest).

Wrong again about pension providers - or at least partly wrong and therefore risking misinformation to readers who use these forums for education. AVIVA recently required a copy of the deceased's passport - difficult for the widow to that when she has given the passport to police and doesn't have a copy. (Yes, I accept that copies of a passport could be retained then the police can do what they like with the original. had a situation).

Just now, hotandsticky said:

I wonder how many fraud charges for such an offence have been brought against Thai widows in the last 20 years.

I don't think you will need many fingers to count that one.

I agree with you but that does not make it legal (or moral) and it certainly doesn't detract from the fact that it would be theft and fraud

Just now, hotandsticky said:

Nonsense. Of course she does.

The passport is the property of the British Government

Nonsense, she does not have any entitlement to keep her deceased husband's passport from the authorities which, as you stated, is the property of the British government,

Just now, hotandsticky said:

Wrong again about pension providers - or at least partly wrong and therefore risking misinformation to readers who use these forums for education. AVIVA recently required a copy of the deceased's passport

0ne anecdotal circumstance, not general procedure and the content of my post was not wrong. Which providers would not accept a death certificate and other forms of identification to process a beneficiaries claim when some people don't have passports?

Just now, Liverpool Lou said:

I agree with you but that does not make it legal (or moral) and it certainly doesn't detract from the fact that it would be theft and fraud

Just now, Liverpool Lou said:

Nonsense, she does not have any entitlement to keep her deceased husband's passport from the authorities which, as you stated, is the property of the British government,

0ne anecdotal circumstance, not general procedure and the content of my post was not wrong. Which providers would not accept a death certificate and other forms of identification to process a beneficiaries claim when some people don't have passports?

Thai police certainly have no claim to it.... and it not one isolated incident.

Just now, Liverpool Lou said:

I agree with you but that does not make it legal (or moral) and it certainly doesn't detract from the fact that it would be theft and fraud

I agree 100% with you on the legal situation... I have made that abundantly clear in all my post.

Personally, I am more interested in the practical position and I would not want my wife (or widows that I have advised) to waste 30k+ on legal fees just to access their money).

Presumably, as a Scouser, you would be more pragmatic than most 😉

On 5/1/2026 at 9:31 PM, ancharee said:

How would the bank know you have died

gOSSIP???